Cushcraft Ten-3 10 meter beam to 11 meter?

[penguinstalker]

My neighbor has a beam antenna lying aside his fence. I asked him what band it was and he told me it was a Cushcraft Ten-3, 10 meter 3 element beam.

Can this antenna be used for CB use? Looks like its in decent shape.

He said he didn't have the manual for it, but I found one on their website.

Can get it for free, but may have to reset everything.
If I take it though, he says "DON"T BRING IT BACK"! It's the last thing he has from his Ham radio days.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Carl]

shure can, may need to re adjust the swr or use a real antenna matcher. not a 35 dollar box but a good amature unit

 

[FL Native]

just call crashcraft and ask them.

never had a beam, but it should work the way it is or you might just need to lengthen the elements a little or change the spacing. "shrugs" move the gamma tap a little might work ???

this post was to bump it back to top. since i have no idea what im talking about. LOL :beer

 

[Beetle]

Probably will have to lengthen each element by about 10% and increase the element spacing about the same. Hey, it's free; try it out!

Does it use traps?

 

[2M Guy]

And if you don't like it, scrap is at a recent high.

 

[Marconi]

penguinstalker, there is not enough material in the kit to make 11 meters. I have a letter around here somewhere I believe that comes from them about that very question. If I can find it I will post it or send you a copy.

I tried mine and stretched it out as far as I could and it was not impressive to me. Of course I was comparing it to a 4 element jobber I run here. If it has not been up too long then it does have very good materials for a beam however. You could maybe find some additional end material that would make it stretch enough. I think the letter even gives me the added lenght necessary to make it work for the middle of 11 meters.

I will look around and that might help save you some time.

 

[Master Chief]

Awww.....Cushcrap!

The boom is too short, but will work and the elements are not long enough. You can lengthen the boom by splitting it and adding a piece inside. If the ouside elements are 1/2", buy some 3/8 tubing to extend the tip lengths. It's a hodge podge to be sure, but do-able!

 

[penguinstalker]

Ok, I ditched it the idea. Thought I'd ask since it was free.

Have to wait to next payday, but going to buy a Maco V58 or maybe a M103C.

In the meantime, went today and bought some 14 gage antenna wire, dogbones and center insulator and a SWR meter. I'm going to try my hand at making a dipole to use till I can order the V58.

I used a dipole calculator to find my lengths to center on channel 20.

Wish me luck!! Really want to get my SSB rig on the air.

Dipole will work on SSB as well I presume? I'm going to put it on a 35' TV mast in the inverted V configuration.

Thx for looking that up for me Marconi. I'm a man I can take being told "NO". lol

73's,
penguinstalker

 

[Master Chief]

An antenna does not care what mode you use (SSB AM FM CW etc).

Remember that a dipole is bi-directional.

Stand outside and face the direction you wish to talk. You know what I mean, towards your friends etc. Rasie your arms up from your sides in the shape of an inverted V. This is how you want to orient the wires.

When you are ready to build your V58, read here.....
http://forum.worldwidedx.com/viewtopic.php?p=59011&highlight=#59011

 

[penguinstalker]

I thought it was omni in the inverted position, Master Chief?

 

[Marconi]

penguinstalker, it is still horizontal, but it is not a pure and has some vertical response in that configuration. It is not true omni however.

 

[W5LZ]

penguinstalker,
It's your wallet, so use it any way you want. But, free stuff never costs too much (sort of)!
A ten meter beam will have to be lengthened something on the order of 3 - 4 inches (elements) and the boom is one of those "iffy" things, maybe, maybe not. Within reason, it doesn't make a lot of difference how you lengthen the elements. Tubing, stiff wire, whatever, just so long as you do it. Then adjust the thing till you don't seem to be improving it anymore and quit. Will it be the most absolutest perfectest beam you can have? No, but so what. Until you start adding elements you probably wouldn't be able to tell anyway. If you decide you really don't want it, drop a hint to the fact that you would give it to someone (on the air) and it'll be gone before you know it...
- 'Doc

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

An inverted Vee tends to radiate horizontal polarity broadside to the wire and vertical polarity off the ends.They are somewhat omni-directional but radiate differant polarities in differant directions.The polarity differance however in a Vee configuration will not be as pronounced as with a normal dipole configuration as neither polarity is not purely linear but is a mixture of both in various ratios.

 

[penguinstalker]

Wow!!,

Thanks for all the awesome information. I'm learning something new everday.

So a sloper would have some vertical as well as side to side?

I'll let ya know how my project goes.